Get Proactive with Your Maintenance
We talk a lot about the importance of making sure your organization is budgeting for and scheduling comprehensive condition assessment and restoration projects for your parking facilities. Garages are expensive, valuable assets and unique in their constant exposure to the elements. So of course, most owners and operators take the responsible step of ensuring they receive the necessary care from the experts on a regular basis.
However, there is an important step you and your staff can be doing each day to stay apprised of the current condition of your parking facilities. An effective parking facility maintenance checklist serves as a guideline for staff to follow while they perform their daily tasks. A checklist like this not only ensures you and your staff maintain an accurate update of the garage condition, but it can also help you identify and resolve potential issues early, reducing costly repair projects if these issues are left unaddressed for too long. For example, a daily (or even weekly) garage maintenance checklist may lead to the identification of garage leaking, which could be addressed quickly and easily rather than allowing the leak to lead to significant concrete deterioration which will be far more costly to repair.
Further, establishing a consistent garage maintenance checklist can also help you and your staff understand the routines and daily activities within your facilities. This consistency will ensure that any unusual incidents or changes within the facility are noticed, greatly increasing the level of safety and security in the facility. For instance, regular walk-throughs and inspections by those who know the facility best, may lead to identifying any issues like an open or unlocked door, physical hazards like debris or ice, suspicious vehicles or people and much more. In addition to visual assessments, these checklists also typically include regular maintenance tasks such as sweeping, clearing of debris, cleaning up slipping hazards like water, ice and more.
A comprehensive parking facility maintenance checklist will go a long way toward helping staff learn even more about the ins and outs of your parking facilities and help to avoid any issues down the road. A checklist should cover every aspect and area within the parking facility. These include:
Structural / physical assessments – water leaking, concrete cracking or spalling, exposed rebar, expansion joints, etc.
Operations – pay-on-foot machines, parking access and revenue control equipment, cashier areas, doors and windows, signage, etc.
Electrical – HVAC equipment, lighting, EV charging stations, solar panels, etc.
Aesthetic components – painting, trash removal, signage, landscaping areas, lighting, etc.
Safety and security – testing of alarms, guardrails, lighting, secure area doors, identification of tripping hazards, identification of safety hazards, etc.
These are just a few of the many components necessary in a garage maintenance checklist. Restocon has worked with many of clients to develop these checklists and would be thrilled to work with you to help develop an effective plan for you and your garage staff to follow. Your garage, patrons, and budgets will thank you.